“To my eating disorder: thank you for trying to tear me down. Without you, I would have never risen above and created a better life for myself. I’ve found that my reason for being here is to dedicate myself to loving and serving others. While you may have stolen 11 years from me, a lifetime of opportunity awaits to love greatly.”

“Recovery is often framed as eliminating eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. However, true recovery is achieving overall health in mind and body. That should be the focus of our efforts. We talk about mental health and physical health as if they are separate, but in reality, they are intertwined and together make up the overall health of a person.”

“Of course, there are going to be days when you’re over scheduled and stressed, but the key is to learn how to handle those days in moderation, while trying your best to maintain the balance between busy time and down time.”

“You have no idea how resilient you truly are. I know you feel that strength and light inside of you, but you are afraid to let it shine. Remember your emotions, although challenging, are what make you the kind of person you are. This will become clearer in years to come.”

“For the first time in my life I started looking for smart ways to make myself happy. I asked my body if it wants to become my friend and it said “yes”. From this point on I took time to ask my body what it needs from me. I changed the way I look at myself in the mirror. Now I focus on all the parts of my body that I like. And they slowly became more. I hug myself everyday. I thank my body for all the hard work it does for me quietly everyday. “

“My recovery gets stronger each and every time I nourish my body, mind and spirit, fuel my exercise properly, and take care of my own needs. I need to be with people with whom I can be my authentic self and I need to connect with those who understand what recovery is all about. My voice is what matters, not Ed’s, and every time I share my story, it empowers me and strengthens my recovery.”

“If you notice your mind going to a place of ‘I should do more,’ reframe by saying something like, ‘This is enough for where I am at right now. I am enjoying spending time with my friend and feeling connected.”

This detachment from ED opened up an infinite space for healing thoughts to grow. By writing self-loving, positive affirmations in opposition to ED’s thoughts, I not only felt motivated to commit to my treatment, but I also felt like I was transforming my identity into who I wanted to be—one who is body-positive, compassionate, and free of ED.

Outside of your physical appearance are your passions, who you are as a person and what you value about yourself. Self- care is not just about physical nourishment and activity, but how we also nourish ourselves in all other aspects of our lives. Practicing being mindful to these parts of our being is also very important in body acceptance and self-esteem.

As we seek to bridge the research-implementation gap, it becomes more essential than ever to mobilize the public. From mandatory automobile seat-belts, to routine screening for autism, consumer demand drives regulations, funding, and access. But how do we get the public to care about our research? How do we shift the cultural narrative around EDs away from the myths, and towards the research?

Check out our very own National Blog Manager, Crystal Campoverde’s review of The Recovery Box, offering supportive resources to support individuals in ED recovery, their encouragers, and ED professionals!

“The ability to respect recovery and accept my body at different stages is necessary. Focusing on time spent with friends, and loved ones, exploring passions and living a nourishing life is more fulfilling than a number on a scale or the size of your pants. Trusting these ideas is difficult in a world obsessed with diets and image. However, when you do, it allows for the freedom to love your life.”

If you are on the verge of eating disorders recovery, it’s perfectly normal to be scared. What I, and others who have recovered, can tell you is that you will find a freedom that you never had with ED before. This process may take a while, but as you go through it, you will realize that it is the most important thing that you will ever do.

A Thief named ED. A thief, continuing to steal my joy, autonomy and happiness, leaving me lifeless, clinging to life, breathless, and desperate for air. Suffocate me no more. Today, I am FREE, shedding the memories of you, sealing them away into a box, releasing its key from my possession.

We want to attach ourselves to every thought in our minds, and this is not productive, nor is it helpful. Rather than fight your brain to shut up, practice separating yourself from the thoughts. The thoughts are not a reflection of you or your values, and learning to diffuse this thinking will help you feel more confident, and less frustrated, on your path to recovery.

In order to truly be well from eating disorders, we need to continue to educate and challenge ourselves, to learn and try new things, and to sometimes risk what feels comforting and familiar as a necessary step to break free from those deeply inscribed patterns of behaviour that just don’t serve us anymore.

Working with adolescents in treatment requires an understanding of the unique needs of this age group. Not only are these clients struggling with everything that comes along with eating disorder and mental illness, their brains are at a developmental stage in which true abstract and logical thinking is starting to form. For loved ones, it is important to be sensitive to the unique needs of the individual with an eating disorder.

As I go through the recovery process, I’m realizing how important authenticity is and that I am open about my struggles. I know now that it’s important for you to be kind to yourself, to trust yourself, and to know that you’re worth fighting for...no matter what.

Eating disorders keep people trapped in a world of darkness that is restricted yet takes up all of the space on their life plate. It’s been my experience that when people begin to heal, they rediscover who they are. This allows less room for the evils of eating disorders and makes room for the goodness that life has to offer.